Thomas J. Dorsey Searey
Mount Dora, FL — March 29, 2008
Event Information
| Date | March 29, 2008 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| Location | Mount Dora, FL |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 28.70444, -81.57555 |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
| NTSB Number | MIA08CA085 |
| Event ID | 20080424X00535 |
Aircraft
| Make | Thomas J. Dorsey |
| Model | Searey |
| Registration # | N202MT |
| Owner | Glenn Louis Abbett |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot's failure to verify the position of the landing gear prior to making a water landing.
Full Narrative
According to the pilot of an amateur built Searey amphibian airplane, he departed Eustis, Florida about 1420 and flew towards Lake Dora, Florida, to do a water landing. The approach onto Lake Dora, was normal. As he touched down he looked and realized that he had not retracted the landing gear. He applied full power and full aft elevator, however the drag from the landing gear did not allow the airspeed to increase and the airplane came to a rapid stop, and sustained substantial damage. The pilot further stated, that he had good instruction, and has flown many different airplanes, "I just made a bad mistake that I hope never happens again."
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.